What is a Food Allergy?

A food Allergy is best defined as the body mistakenly trying to fight off a food that it sees as a threat.

The body, for one reason or another, produces an antibody (igE) when the food is eaten – or in some cases just touched – and the next time the body is asked to deal with the food it produces various chemicals, including histamine, to try to defend the body.

The result of this reaction, the "allergic response", varies from person to person, depending on where in the body the chemicals are released.

If the body reacts at skin level it can cause redness, itching or swelling.

If the response is in the airways it can a runny nose or sneezing, or lower in the airways it can cause wheezing or a cough.

If the reaction is down in the gut it can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, or tummy pain.

If the whole body receives the chemicals, as can happen in extreme cases, this reaction is more severe and is known as a “systemic reaction” – this is the sort of reaction that can result in a condition called

Anaphylaxis

(where the heart rate, blood pressure, or the lungs are affected).

This response is by far the most extreme and needs emergency medical treatment immediately.